Soul Contracted
by wilddragon363
Summary: Short skits about the joining of new members to the Soul Hunters free company on Final Fantasy XIV and an introduction to their personalities that were wished to be shared with others who have an interest in FFXIV. Only those who have given me permission to write about them will appear in these stories. These "Soul Contracts" are created for fun and nothing more.
1. Soul Contracted: Lalafell

AN: Hi guys! It's been awhile since I've written but I am back. I've been playing Final Fantasy XIV (I'm so addicted. In fact, if you have it and are on the NA server Bryn hit me up! My main character is Asha Ayame.) Anyway: Asha, Kiss and Yuki are my personally owned characters. Any other name that you see I have permission to use and some I will rename for the sake of privacy if requested. Now on to the disclaimers… I do not in any way own Final Fantasy or any extension of the game and its branch offs such as the series, any merchandise, spin offs ectara. I do not advocate for Square Enix nor do I take credit for any of the great work that Yoshi P. created and continues to put forth.

 **Soul Contracted: Lalafell**

In the shadows of the night a small, rounded figure scurries through the dark trying her best to avoid being seen. "Eh, eh, eh." She huffs and puffs as she moves her small little Lalafellen legs. "Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh!" Faster and faster she pumps them trying to rush to the Soul Hunters threshold located in the Shirogane housing district. Her goal tonight? To return before her mother noticed she was late. She had told her mom she would be home around eight tonight but with any luck she was stuck in a dungeon. It's rare for someone such as herself to be seen around.

Most Lalas have reached the age of adulthood hood and young ones are not that easy to find. She however was a mere five and yet attempts to keep up with her kind. Her adoptive mother, a Miqo'te, found her alone on the steps of Thal when she was only a few days old. Asha held the small little popoto like creature in her arms and instantly fell in love with her. Asha thought the right thing to do was to stay in the city for a few days to see if anyone would come to claim the missing child. Sadly, well to Asha it wasn't sad at all if she were honest to herself, no one had even mentioned a missing child. Not a single whisper of one floated around and she figured if a week had gone by and no one claimed her then this rare gift was meant to be hers. So, Asha named the white haired little ball of chubbiness Kiss. Something sweet and loving… and very off base at times. Honestly, she's a bit of an ass hole. Oh, the woes and regrets of an advanced child as Asha would soon come to see.

It's well past two am and she should have been home by eight. ~Mother is going to be peeved!~ "Run wittle legs! Run! Why can't mah knees bend when I needs 'em?" She said aloud to herself just as she flew down the stairs and rounded the corner to the entrance of the yard.

"Probably because Lalafells don't have any knees?" Came the smooth response of someone sitting by the mailbox. "You know, if you want to sneak in late you probably shouldn't talk out loud to yourself. You also may wish to refrain from running with a glowstick lighting your way. I'm not sure if it's funny or embarrassing to receive calls from various residents talking about how your daughter is running around in her paladin armor clanking her sword and shield on her back as she runs at all hours of the night with a glow stick in hand chanting " _Oh fux, oh fux!"_ Which, I might add is not a mantra you learned from me. Have you been hanging out on the docks again hm?" Out into the light steps a raven furred Miqo'te with green eyes that seemed to shine bright enough to create a natural glow around herself. Her skin pale, though not sickly, with makeup that made her look as if she were a living doll.

"Nuuuu! I would neva hang down there if you said not too."

"You see… Momma knows when you lie. Any time you lie or misbehave you start to take on the baby talk you've started to grow out of. Honestly, I'm not upset you're late. An adventurer's life is unpredictable. However, you could have sent a moogle to let me know." Asha reached her hand down to 'zush' the little lala's white hair and as she did Kiss's eyes lit up like fireworks at the Moon Fire fair. Her green and red eyes sparkling with hope.

"Sooooo, I'm not grounded?" Kiss asked.

"Oh, you're grounded. Not for being late but for not sending a message and for cursing through the housing area."

"But momma I- "

As they stood in the yard a loud deep scream came from inside the guild house. Puzzled they both looked towards the door just as the manly voice began to yell "Where is she? Where is the midget?! Ooooh I know she did it. Where is the little witchling?!" Crashing sounds and the sounds of furniture being tossed around and flipped over could be heard even outside making Kiss and Asha curious about what was going on; and as the Twelve would have it they wouldn't have to wait long to find out. Out from the front door burst a large muscular Hyur with shoulder length black hair with riven bits of red streaking through it, a tan as brown as a Mexican's ball sack and a big old throbbing vein in the center of his forehead.

"Hi Kuuuuuuusssshhhhhh." Asha noticed the attempt to be extra cute with his name but said nothing. She merely smirked to herself and hung back to see what kind of prank she pulled this time.

"No, no. Don't get cute with me! You know damn well why I'm pissed at you ya little shit."

"Wah I do?" She asked giving her best shoulder shrug and kept her smile well hidden. Though her eyes… her eyes shone with pride.

"Don't play innocent. Your mother should be teaching you by now that when you do things to other people karma comes back to bite you in the ass." Kush ground out from behind his teeth. His anger was seething, and Asha still didn't know what it was her daughter did.

"Okaies look. I dunno what you think I did but I didn't do it. I've been gone all day. Momma fed me a biiiiig breakfast, packed a lunch and sent me to level. I spent the first few hours eating sweet buns at the tea shop and then I was at the docks with Yuki until nows. Gaahh! Looket! Your accuzations is making meh talk like a baby. Oh, the stress you bring on to meh!" Dramatically the little Lala faints to the ground where she lay still for a solid minute before peaking her eye open to see if the two in her company had left. Kush, however, was not giving into the little Lalafellen's antics. He simply picked her up and set her upon Asha's shoulders so that Kiss and he were eye to eye and in a stern voice he spoke.

"So, you mean to tell me that you have been gone all day, yes? Okay I can believe that, but can you tell me what you did before breakfast? If I recall Asha cooked for everyone. I know because she tried waking me up to eat with everyone else and when I saw it was only eight thirty I made a half-conscious decision to sleep in instead of eating. So, in that time that everybody was rushing around you are going to tell me you did not sneak in the Venus flytrap from the garden and place it just under my sink so that when I woke up to begin my day it wouldn't snap at my di- "

"Boy part." Asha quickly inserted for him.

"What your mother said. Someone else was evil enough to do something like that aside from you Kiss?" Kush preened for an answer as he leaned in closer; His right eye squinting as he widened his left one to eyeball the little trouble maker.

"Wahhh?! Me? Nuuuuu. I would never. Maybe you did it in your sleep or if someone did do it then whoever did that must have been really upset with you. You probably called them a short stack of pancakes." Suddenly a little gasp followed by the sound of hands clamping over something cut through the night air and if Asha was right then it was the sound of her telling on herself.

"Aha! You did do it you little shrimp!"

"Weellll you keep calling me short! Shrimp, shorty, midwet… migwit…. Whatever! Then you called meh a short stack-ah pancakes and poured syrup on my head! I hope it bit it off, humph!" Kiss harrumphed and climbed down the Miqo'te's back and down her leg onto the ground.

"Joke's on you spitball. It' missed. Although I no longer have to trim down there this week."

"Kush! Shush! She's still little! Don't say things like that in front of her." Asha chided.

"She doesn't even know what it means. Relax. Don't cough up a hair ball over it." Kush fired back.

"Kush has a hairy ball sack as hairy as mommy's upper lip!" Kiss laughed, clearly knowing what he had meant after all. Sometimes Asha hated that her little girl could pick up on things so easily. So young, yet well beyond her years.

"Hanging out at the docks, avoiding your leveling then hiding it and trying to dis-member" the wicked kitten force stifled a giggle "a fellow member of the guild. That's two weeks grounding."

"Only two weeks? She could have caused some serious harm. I like to flex naked in the mirror before I dress." The Hyur pointed out.

Out of nowhere came a flying popoto dive bombing the shins of human male. She circled her arms around his legs and her mouth opened as wide as she could make it go just before she clamped down onto his left ankle and sank her teeth in like a little vampire. Kush yelped in pain much like a cartoon character and proceeded to shake his leg trying to free the carnivorous munchkin from her death bite. Finally, she did let go and when she did she flew a decent five feet or so before landing on her bottom safe and sound on the grass.

"What the hell you friggin' pale oompa loompa?!"

"Stahp tryin' to get me in more troubles!"

All the while as the three of them carried on below, a pink haired fuzzy ball of fur decked out in a set of ninja armor had been perched upon the guild hall this whole time. The Master of Soul Hunters staying ever vigilant… or perhaps he's hiding from work. With a little smirk to himself he thinks: ~I'm glad she signed a soul contract with us. That little Lala is going to bring about interesting times. ~ Being lost in thought the pink Miqo'te did not notice when he leaned forward just a little too much and began to topple his way down from the roof and down to the ground. The arguing bunch became quiet when he hit the ground face first and as if aware of his staring audience he turned over onto his back, crossed one leg over the other and rested his hands behind his head. With a light chuckle his lips curl into a smile and part once the corners could go no higher turning his smile into a toothy grin.

"Here enters Tomo." He says like he had intentionally meant to reveal himself in such a manner.

"On his face." Kiss added.

AN: Okay everyone please forgive me. It's been a while since I've written as stated in my previous AN so I'm off my game… FOR NOW. If you have any ideas for Kiss to use to prank people with or to add to her shenanigans or rather her Lalafell-igans. No? Fine! We will stick with 'shenanigans'. Then send me a message and I'll see what I can do. Take care for now!


	2. Soul Contracted: Guild Master

AN: ~Disclaimer~ I do not own any Final Fantasy XIV or it's related characters or published content. However, I do own some of the created characters that may appear in my written work such as Asha, Kiss and Yuki. Any other created fictious characters are that of guild members and/or friends with expressed permission for creative use. SOUL CONTRACTS are fun stories created solely for Soul Hunters and their imaginative collective works. I do not take credit for any of Square Enix nor Yoshi P.'s brilliance. XD To be honest I would have made the game rated M for MOSTLY NAUGHTY. So, you see? 😊 NOT MINE.

 **Soul Contracted: Enter the Guild Master of Souls**

It was just another Saturday morning for Tomo as he sat in his office preparing to go over the days schedule. It wasn't anything to different from any other day. A stack of papers sitting on his desk neatly organized by Asha for him. A plate of toast and fruit she had whipped up for him already knowing he'd skip out on breakfast. He took a sip of the freshly brewed coffee and cringed. You know the kind of cringe you get when you think of your grandparents naked and getting it on. Yeah… Asha's coffee making skills were as bad as that horrific thought. Honestly someone should make her coffee into a potion for a negative buff or even turn it into a D.O.T., because honestly let's face it… if he drank it he'd spend at least an hour in the bathroom and delay his start on things. Tomo looked to the dying plant in the corner and frowned. He felt bad he kept doing this to both Asha and the house plant, but he couldn't down the bitter flavor of burnt coffee and so with a guilty heart he poured his morning beverage out into the soil of the potted plant and continued forward with his days work; or at least he tried to.

"That wasn't nice." Came a voice from inside his head.

~Oh, by the Twelve. Please do not start so early in the morning. ~ The pink Miqo'te thought to himself. He was not ready to handle the many soul stones of his adventures. In fact, let's take this back a bit.

SOUL HUNTERS: A guild created specially to attune to an adventure in the world of FINAL FANTASY and the land of Eorzea. The soul stones refer to the many job classes that one person may take on. Some players simply follow one path, others two. The determined gamer takes on more and are often conflicted with either multiple personalities or various emotions. Not every adventurer can fully meld with each and as such may lose a soul due to the fading light, or 'connection' with the soul stone required to take on and efficiently carry out the role it is connected to. Some players may in fact hear voices within their heads. The guild master for Soul Hunters falls into this last-mentioned category. Soul Hunters help in the reconnection of a player to the game and or a specified class to the best ability that the any member can aid another. In short, this specific free company is crazy, on the edge, out of their minds, out for fun and fully support everyone within its ranks.

"Wow. You were doing so well with your inner monolog until the end there. You almost sounded like you were explaining to someone outside of our mental universe. What'cha narrating for anyway? Did that single sip of coffee melt your brain Tomo?" Came the inner voice of his Scholar. If Tomo were honest with himself, he would throw a dictionary at the bookworm if he didn't think his scholar would enjoy it so much and well, if it wasn't going to hurt his own face.

~Could you please, just please for once just wait until everyone else has waken up before you start your shit? ~

"I'm already up! Why did you toss out the coooofffeeee?! Good or bad coffee is coffee and I need it! Neeeeedddsssssssss." Monk shouted a little to loud. Hyper already and it still wants coffee?

"I've been observing you since before you have been up yourself Tomo. I should point out you have a horrible habit of drooling. Then again those of a lesser upbringing can't help the habits they carry with them." Came his White Mage.

"Be careful of what you ask for or you just might get it. I should know that by now." Tomo said out loud just in time for a chubby Lalafell to run in and steal his toast and run out shouting "Kush ate my breakfast."

"Kunai! Kunai to the face Tomo. Get her, get her now. I wanted to eat that." Said a very uppity Ninja. "How dare she be more stealthy and quicker than us. Kunai to the fucking face!"

"Enough!" Came a roaring order from Soul's master. He slammed his hands on the desk and scattered all the nicely stacked papers. He knocked over the now empty coffee cup and it came crashing down to the floor and shattered. "I have work to do and frankly listening to you idiots is not helping. Before you say, 'Do not include me with the idiots or those mongrels' or anything else White Mage, just know that the longer it takes me to get things done the longer before you are out and about showing off your superiority." Within the confines of his mind he could hear his White Mage open his mouth to speak but a distant snore of a sleeping Dark Knight along with the truth in Tomo's words managed to silence the healing perfectionist.

"Fine." Was the collective answer of the Scholar, Ninja, Monk and White Mage.

"But we better get coffee after." The Monk whispered under his breath as one final remark.

Tomo pinched the bridge of his nose and tweaked his glasses. As he did so he inhaled deeply and let out his breath filled with annoyance so that he could proceed to pick up the glass of the cup and the work that had gone astray. If only he could lock them up or put his souls in a time out.

Looking at the clock you can see it was just a little past noon. He'd been up since six in the morning trying to get things done and work that should have only taken four hours took six because someone wanted coffee and at the halfway mark began singing '99 cups of coffee on the wall' and just out of sheer annoyance everyone else other than a sleeping Dark Knight joined in.

"Ninety-eight cups of coffee on the wall. Ninety-eight cups of coffee! Take once down, pass it around, ninety-eight cups of- "

"Alright, alright! I'll go get us some coffee or so the Twelve help me. I regret the day I first ingested the stuff. I have a Lalafell addicted to crack and my souls are caffeine whores." Almost as fast as he muttered the word crack did a druggie Lalafell run by scattering glitter everywhere and laughing her little witchy laugh.

"First get coffee, then deal with the short one." Monk stated, not asked and to that Tomo agreed. He aimed his way to the kitchen passing member by member. Yuki who sat in the living room near the bookshelf sneaking chocolate bubbles when she thought no one was looking. Asha in the dinning room cleaning up the lunch dishes, choosing to ignore the fact he worked past lunch. Kush in the hall smoking a blunt while leaning against the wall. His foot out most likely waiting for his little rival to run by and trip over him. The guild hall was lively. Nothing wrong with that. The pink furred kitty smiled to himself feeling as if his dream for Soul Hunters was slowly becoming a reality.

Not long after did he finally reach his destination. The counter tops shining, the cookware washed and drying. The smell of lavender emitting from the freshly cleaned floors that must have just dried. The only thing that was left out to catch his eye was the pot of coffee sitting in the brewer and before he could do anything to contain his monk within himself the soul in question rushed forward taking over his body and clutched to the pot for dear life. Just as the Monk was about to put it to his lips and drink the precious black gold Tomo pushed a little within his mind-verse and managed to walk them over to the sink. The struggle between him and his Monk raged on as one tried to pour it out and the other tried to drink it.

"Coffee!" Yelled Monk.

"Poison!" Retaliated Tomo.

"It's life!" Pleaded the Monk.

"It's death!" Protested the Master of Soul.

"It's necessary!" At this point the soul of the monk was now whining.

"Asha made it. I'm trying to save us all!" Was the last of the disagreement before Tomo successfully tilted the pot and poured its contents out. "Just relax and I'll make a new brew. Five minutes won't kill you."

"No, but I could kill you both in less than five minutes." Muttered a bragging White Mage.

"That was the last of the coffee. I'm glad you think I could kill you with it, I'd give you the benefit that you thought you were talking inside your head, but my benefit may be poisonous." Tomo turned his head to watch a raven colored Miqo'te turn and walk out the kitchen.

"I wonder what is worse. A pissy Asha, or a caffeine deprived soul." He questioned to no one other than himself but of course as he never has a moment of peace someone had a reply.

"Don't call on me any time soon unless you have some fucking coffee." Monk huffed and fell silent.

"Can we kill the Lalafell now?" Asked his Ninja.

"I could have handled things much better than you." Commented his White Mage.

"Ha-ha, so after all that you're still behind the things you had to do?" Mocked his Scholar.

"Hey guys. What did I miss?" Yawned a sneaky Dark Knight whom everyone had forgotten. His sudden appearance jolting everyone and taking them by surprise.

"Is everyone sneakier than I am?! I'm the damn ninja!" Shouted the soul of a pride beaten ninja.

"Oooo Tomo's getting a headache. I woke up just in time for the pain." Dark Knight exclaimed excitedly and purred at the sinfully painful pleasure that over took them all.

"I'm going to go craft. You're all grounded." Deciding to punish them all, Tomo left out the kitchen to the front door and out to the market board. "But first to buy some aspirin."

AN: Okay everyone that sums up another Soul Contract! Just a heads up, if you read the first one and you recognize the Lalafell, she's not actually addicted to crack. In her mind due to a joke that is never ending she thinks that sugar cubes are crack. Hence why she is always hyper. She's on a sugar rush. Also, I just want to point out that while Tomo may be a dork he is not crazy. Even if he comes across clinically insane. XD


	3. Soul Contracted: Elena

_Soul Contracted: Elena_

Long ago there was a curse cast down upon the realm by twelve vengeful gods. This curse set unto the world a great sense of hopelessness born of famine, disease, poverty and war. It became a place that fed upon itself. Its people would multiply like a virus, infecting any and everything they touched, only to plummet the world further into the dark abyss. Under a corrupt ruling they lived out their lives which only seemed to delve deeper and deeper into selfishness and unforgiving sins. There was one continent in particular which had torn itself apart beyond repair. Here people shirked off their own kind and gave no second thought to those they left behind. Struggling to survive or left die. This land was called Eorzea and during this time no one cared for anyone or anything but themselves. Yes, self-preservation was held above all, even the young and innocent. It was around this time that the earth was left with scars that ran deeper than waters of the Ruby Sea. Even our early heroes sought out glory and gluttony over honor and goodness. Father Heaven wept tears of blood for his beloved Mother Earth as she witnessed her children kill each other without being able to do a single thing about it.

Scorched and burned, sliced to pieces… ripped up from the roots and abused to her core she watched on as the pillars of society crumbled, and the stench of death overtook the fields. Bodies of her offspring piled atop of one another. Humanity raped her for all that she had… the flora, fauna and beauty she had once gifted upon them. A motherly provision of livelihood. The only comfort she had was the rare touch of rain from her beloved from high above her.

If it had not been for the mages of old, the very last pulse of life would have been drained from her very being and everything that roamed above her corpse would have ceased to exist. In a last attempt to save humanity the mages would sacrifice the bearers of wisdom. Each and every Elder of this time drew in their last breath so that the skies which burned crimson could return a soft, forgiving blue; the mud beneath their feet once again became lush grass and gentle meadow. The water purified, fields and crops could once again grow and be harvested. On their bone and flesh all of Eorzea had been given a second chance. Of course that would not be enough. Mother Earth was no fool. She knew the Twelve would push back. Their hate was not broken nor was their curse. Corrupt humans sought out their power and so they sought out the destruction of humanity. In this she would be grateful for the life she had been returned but Mother would not let go of her own anger. She threatened to poison the crops she yielded. She vowed to siphon water through her soil and be as unforgiving to those she had given life to as they had been to her all for the sake of a ward waged against a power that had nearly killed her in the first place.

The only way she would let this go is if an agreement could be reached between her and the mages. They too would give their lives to her. She would take their magic to be a part of her so that all things born from her could fight back. She desired that life itself be something that could fend for its own.

Lost to history, this was in fact the very first Soul Contract that was created only to be buried within the scrolls of a bloodstained past and encrypted in a language lost to all but the descendants of the original Seventh Dawn. A defender of every kind was created. A massive beast in the forms of both monster and nature stood tall among their kind who each held a piece of Mother's anger. An overgrown Terant tree, a monstrous boar… every herd, every flock; they each had a protector. Every part of the land was also given something to look after it. A creature born of black tar that wielded a scythe, a beast clad in electricity, a god like man to be known as Odin… she was a woman scorn but still full of love. Not to be one who is unjust she birthed a defender of her two legged children as well, known as the first Warrior of Light.

This warrior traveled the land ridding it of some of the greatest evils. He traveled down into the depths of the darkest dungeons. He fought trial after trial sent to him by the gods old both old and the new which had been created for the sole sake of crushing this living embodiment of hope. The nameless hero was the first of many to come who only sought out the peace of the world without compensation of any kind. However as there is a balance to all, the more good he had done the more evil that rose up against him. These evils did not always come at him from the heavens nor hell but often from the same very people who would only moments ago would grovel at his feet once a task had been cleared or an enemy vanquished. After years and years of service and the birth of two new generations, Eorzeans all over still turned their back on one another. Even children were not they exception to this and in fact they had it worse of all. Some were unwanted from conception and cast off from birth. Others were born sick and found to be unworthy of keeping as they could not bring 'honor' to their families. The most common reason for children to be pushed aside is that they were simply found to be a burden: One may were unwilling to take on. They would procreate like rats but cast off their young and forget that they had a responsibility to up hold. While not everyone would do this, our historic warrior would more often than not find himself walking past ill children; children sleeping under bridges or eating from the trash. The sides of the roads were overrun by the bodies of the dead belonging to children of all ages. Savage animals would feed upon their rotting flesh. Flies and maggots would breed in the open gashes left behind by carnivorous teeth. There had even been times when one would see a child feasting on another out of fear of starvation.

It was from these desperate souls that unspoken cries seeped out from their hearts and into their dreams on the coldest nights. Sleeping under the stars brought no happiness or comfort to these younglings as when their eyes shut and they drifted off one could only wonder what the next day would bring and whether or not they could survive that one too. Taking a peek into their hearts Mother Earth listened to their fears and sought to find their deepest desires. With the strong belief they carried that one day they would no longer fear the unknown and with what little magic they had left, Mother created an entity known as Elena who was neither good nor evil. Elena's purpose was to create a safe haven for the spawn of yet another failed society and in exchange they would give her something precious. Their souls. The souls of children would be used to create an unmatched power that would birth more Warriors of Light in hopes of cleansing the lingering darkness and to make a peaceful era where all could live free without the fear of having to wake up to a new day of forced survival.

On an empty plot in the Shirogane district located in the town of Kugane a house appeared from nothing. Smaller than a mansion though bigger than a common single family home with the outward appearance of a castle, Elena took form. Out from the front sprung forth trees, shrubbery and a garden. Wild chocobo came forth to present themselves for service. A well for fresh water, a fountain to play. Behind her was a private beach and a hidden spring all under her claim and protection. Inside were three floors of space that filled with everything a child would need and everything they could want. She could make any room to match each personality with a simple wish.

Elena spoke to the winds of freedom; asking for aid to find the lost, forgotten and down hearted. As this request did not deter the wind from its carefree path it agreed to help. A warm and gentle breeze blew across the land, touching every cheek of sweet and innocent child in need of help and healing. In its caress help Elena's whisper.

"Come to me little ones. Seek me out. Find your peace and happiness with me. I can rid you of anything that ails or haunts you. I will provide and care for you however nothing comes for free. In turn your soul will belong to me once you turn thirteen. Find me in Kugane should you wish."

To many this was not even a question. To be free of pain and illness? To not have to wonder when their next meal will come from. Warmth and a roof over their heads… so many would, and did, agree to forsake an uncertain future of adulthood, if they could even live long enough to see it. So they made their way to Kegan. A long journey for many, a short distance for some. A few made it on foot, others hitched hiked and then there were those who didn't make it at all.

For many decades Elena preformed her duties well and upheld her contract with Mother and even as time went on she personally developed feelings for those she had found. When it came to the thirtieth birthday of any given person, it was a day met with both great celebration and great sorrow. Everyone would gather around for a morning feast and then an afternoon party. A family had been made from the strays of Eorzea full of brothers and sisters who came to love one another. They lived and played together, they hurt and cried together and no bond could be stronger than that born from necessity and pain. They had all grown harbor a great affection for Elena as she did keep her promise and then some. On the night of one's thirteenth birthday Elena would ease the soul of the chosen offering from their body. Once separated, the physical form would fade into what is called "the nothingness" and the soul itself would rise up, shining vibrantly with a luminescent glow engulfing it as it transcended into something more.

A higher calling now awaited them for there is nothing more powerful than the unshakable faith in all things good when in the face of a tidal wave of terrible circumstances. After the light had softened and eventually faded entirely it formed a small item. This would be known to our heroes as a 'Soul Stone.' A small object that held great power with the ability to transform an ordinary person into a Warrior of Light by binding it to their soul by dark magic. Some would even host more than one. This was made possible depending on how pure your soul was. Each and every stone would taint its user more and more not only by the number of spirits that they hosted but also the number of times one has drawn on its power. The purity would eventually correct completely once fully bound. It was a fair trade of. You could gain the abilities of a knight or a ninja or even a mage and all you had to do was surrender yourself. This was the sacrifice one must make in order to help restore the goodness of the world. A Warrior of Light would eventually become a Warrior of Darkness in order to save their home and once this transformation was complete the powers of a soul stone would increase tenfold.

As with most things, everything must eventually end just as with most adults the mind closes off to all things it cannot comprehend and it them embraces fear. A man by the name of Garren had discovered what was going on and deemed the Castle of Dreams to be evil. He took to the streets of Kugane and gathered all who would listen to him. Emboldened by liquid courage that burned its way throughout his body Garren hatefully amassed a small militia to take up arms.

"Gather round fellow townsmen! Hear me and hear me clear!" Garren had shouted. "There is a monster among us! An evil snatching our children from us during the night. It is a powerful demon that preys on the young, it feeds on our very future! I ask that you join me in destroying this beast! Take up torches, pitchforks and blades. Gather any weapon that you can find to protect yourself and follow me to exorcise this creature that does not belong in a world of humans!"

Rather than leave Elena be they had rallied together beneath this misguided man whose anger was toward something entirely different. So the sheep followed this self-loathing man throughout the streets and to the housing area. After entering the ward in which the house was located the mobs numbers grew rapidly.

"Kill it!" Someone shout.

"The beast must die!" Shouted another.

"Purge the demon from the rafters and cleanse it!"

They cursed and condemned the castle of dreams repeatedly. Not a single person stopped to question what was going on. No one considered the fact that these children were unwanted let alone that Elena was providing a service by accepting taking them in. She had taken in hundreds of children by this time. The streets were no longer overrun. She was also contributing to population control as well as providing the weak with strength. She did this out of both duty and selfishness but did they care? Not at all. The slurs and slander increased as the house came into the view and without wasting a single moment they rushed the yard with torches and weapons in hand. They started by setting the stables ablaze without freeing the chocobos. They lit the shrubs and gardens. Fire rained from the tree tops but they did not stop there.

Elena cried out for them to stop but they did not.

"Please! If not for me then for the children who have made themselves at home inside of me. They sleep, even now through your hate and disgruntlement. Please I beg of you stop this. It is not too late. Please! Please, please, please!" She begged and pleaded even as members of the violent group invaded her doorways and made their way to her core.

"Screw you and your begging. Take along the young you have corrupted for your own personal gain you disgusting thing! Your very existence is a threat to all!" That was the one and only reply Elena had received just before the scent of oil filled the house. During the time she spent trying to save her beloveds she had never noticed both her insides and out being doused in kerosene. Just moments after becoming aware of this was her core set to flames. Books, curtains, linens and anything else that could be used as kindling was and anything the fire could spread to burned to ash. This not only mean the house and decorations but the children too. They burned in a way no one should ever have to experience. This was not a simple singe from cooking or even a campfire. Oh no… This was like cooking a karakul for its meat only while it lived so that its fleece burned down the flesh and then the flesh charred followed by the muscle and the blood could do nothing but dry and flake off the bone just as the flames finally decided to settle.

"Save us Elena!"

"Yes! Please help us!"

"I don't want to die, not like this!"

"This isn't what you promised us!"

The castle of dreams looked on with a broken heart as she could do not a single thing to aid them nor to ease their suffering. She merely accepted the fate that awaited them all. Many tried to run to the bathing area to put out the flames only to find there was no stored water. Other tried the sinks in the bathrooms and the kitchen, however they met the same problem. A few managed to make it to the well and jumped in, successfully putting out the flames only to drown instead after realizing that not a single one of them knew how to swim. The rest of the children made a final attempt to run to the beach behind the house, thinking the ocean water would save them but sadly their bodies carbonized before they could even make it half way there.

This had been one of the longest, coldest and darkest nights in Eorzean history. As dawn began to break the vicious crowd had broken apart; their task completed. There Elena had fallen, now nothing more than a pile of burnt wood, ash and rubble with the added adornments of corpses. One could still smell the rotting scent of burning flesh that had the accompanying aroma of hate and distain. Month old garbage that had been out on the summer's hottest day had a more pleasant smell. The Castle of Dreams was no more and Elena's spirit simply faded from the world and rested within the aetherial currents where she had planned to remain with her silent tears until one faith night she could not have foreseen.

Garren had taken so much. One man walked down the path of utter destruction and held no remorse. Now it was up to another man to make amends. A mysterious person who has traveled throughout the land doing all kinds of good deeds with no want for anything in return. He has fed the hungry, protected the weak and even given his very last coin to those in need. His only condition is that they too do something to help another. The dark hooded figure expected good to grow from the little goodness seeds that he planted in the hearts of those he met along his journey. See, this person was looking for something but never knew what it was. Something inside him compelled him to press forward day in and day out and he listened to this unknown source of strength. What Garren had failed to realize is that everything has a balance so if he had and he did commit a great evil then someone, somewhere must do a great good.

The hooded figure had finally made his way to the little corner of Shirogane. With a masculine stride he followed the very same path as those who had defecated upon the good name of Elena and spat on the home of countless children without so much as a second thought or a single sign of remorse. As he walked down the street he could hear the endless chants, the string of curses and demeaning slurs. Every hateful word grew louder and seeped with venom the closer he had become to the fallen house. Even as he had reached it and turned to approach it by climbing the steps, which seemed to be the only thing that remained intact he could still hear the horrible things being yelled but not only that he now could smell the unmistakable scent of burning earth and sulfur, flesh and hair. He bore witness to flashes of murder with every step he took forward until he finally set foot on the top stair where he took a moment's time to take in his surroundings. Then with one last step he was within the broken archway that barely stood amongst the broken walls that had once provided privacy and shade to the inhabitants of what he had seen to be a once beautiful home.

Out of nowhere came a whirlwind that swept up all of the broken stone, the cracked rafters, the ash and dust. It collected everything and then in an instant the shoosh of air vanished and in its wake was the castle of dreams only… pale in comparison. Its beauty diminished from that which our weary cloak clad figure had seen in his visions upon arriving. It was of a ghostly white and the feeling of despair emitted strongly from its very presence. He wanted to question what the reasoning of its reappearance was but the staff he held in his left hand told him he should know better than to question the essence of magic and the dark unknown powers of this world.

As if reading his mind the voice of a woman broke through his thoughts and asked him a simple question.

"Who are you?" The voice called to him.

"I am a traveler of little importance." He responded.

"Lies. Why have you come here? This night of all nights, the eve of the thirteenth anniversary of my murder and the murder of those who had been under my protection?" She pressed on.

"I do not know, I was unware of my own arrival but I did not lie. I am a traveler who holds no level of importance to anyone, anywhere." It was when he said this that the entity who had revealed herself to him began to lose her patience. A rush of wind blew forward and knocked back the hood from the face of the person who stood before her and after a few moments silence she then spoke softly. "My child, you have come home." It was at that time a feeling of unease settled into him and just as he were to turn and walk away the voice suddenly did more than just speak. Roots sprang from the group beneath his feet, wrapping around his feet and she forced visions upon him, visions other than those he had seen just prior. She showed him a life before the death. She showed him joy and happiness. Memories fluttered through his mind in a way that very much resembled that of a flip book and it was she had finished that he found himself free of the roots and able to speak.

"Elena…" It was barely a whisper but she heard it.

"Yes my child."

"Those people… those people hurt you. They ruined you and you were helpless to fight back." His voice broke as he spoke and tears took to his eyes."

"They did."

"You have given so many strength but left yourself weak and vulnerable. How could you? Children everywhere have needed you!" it wasn't that he was accusing her of abandoning the lands young but it was something he couldn't help but say. After all he had just seen so much in so little time and to add that to all that he had seen along the way while finding his way back home only to have found it taken away from him it was just too much to take in.

The once proud castle of dreams that stood before him as a ghost of a memory gave him a minute to collect himself. Once he had calmed himself she moved on to speak.

"Tell me the name that you now go by." Elena inquired.

"I go by the name of Tomo in this form."

"It would appear that this 'Tomo' has collected the last set of soul stones that were created from my loved ones. Tell me, how did he come to have these and not the lesser stones created in my absence?"

"I have been guiding him to find my brothers and sisters. He not only has one of every power but he also harbors a handful of similar ones. He's kept them all this time not knowing why. While they others have bonded with him fully, I had been waiting until I could return to you but had I known what had happened I would have been here to protect you." Tomo spoke to Elena as if she were an old friend and in a sense she was however the true Tomo who was locked within his own mind watching and listening as this went on was confused as to when and where his soul stones had been as he could only understand as 'in control' or having a separate existence aside from his own.

"Will you now release him and become one? There is something I wish for him to do." Surely her own creation would not deny her? As luck would have it her child did just as she wished and a much disoriented Tomo, the true Tomo came forth in mentality. Elena gave him a chance to put together all of the pieces and then made her request known.

"Within you, you have many of my young souls. Amongst them a black mage who has led you to me and in doing so I wish to grant you a great responsibility." The Ghost Castle began. "I want for you to continue my work. Save those who need saving, guide their souls to a great calling and give power to the weak so that they can make our world strong from those who wish our people harm and to keep all safe from the once kind hearted but now dark gods. Will you do this for me?"

This was such a strange and deeply felt request but he had only just met this being. He knew nothing of her let alone how to perform such deeds. He opened his mouth to decline but just before he could speak he felt the heartache and sorrow of each of his stones. They too had seen the horrid fate of the only Mother they had had in a different life. This was all so overwhelming and hard to take in but these stones had given him so much power and strength that he did not feel it right to deny them something in return. So instead of telling her no he decided to make his own request of her.

"I will but I will not do it your way. I will protect the weak and offer strength. I will save all those that I can and I will guide any and every lost soul that should come my way. However you must provide a safe haven for all in need, not just children and you must allow me to take in comrades to aid me but I will not kill those who are innocent. Their lives will be spared and strength will be gained a different way. Do you agree to this?" His tone stern and serious.

"Is this your desire of me?" She asked.

"It is. You agree to this and I will make your dream come true." He stated coolly.

"Then the contract is made, Master of Souls."

"The contract is made… Elena." He recalled his black mage saying her name earlier.

Tomo, a pink haired miqo'te of great possibility who knew nothing of who he truly was just yet entered the front doors to embark on his new future. Once inside Elena closed the doors behind him and all that could be heard as they shut was her voice softly whispering, "Sssooooul Huuunnntteerrsss….."

(A/N: Do not own anything relating to Final Fantasy XIV or it's related content aside from my own original characters and the content written with use of other personalized personas in my fanfics as seen fit but the owners of said personas. Any main scenario characters that appear with the story of the game in any of my writing are used as the story sets them to be and are strictly owned by Yoshi P and Square Enix.

A/N within the A/N: If it were up to me, Final Fantasy would be filled with smutt.)


End file.
